Meniscus Tear: Causes and Treatment for This Knee Injury

Though the name of the condition may sound foreign, a meniscus tear is a type of knee injury. Your knee is cushioned by a C-shaped and rubbery disc that is known as meniscus. There are two menisci in each of your knees. There is one at your knee’s outer edge and the other at its inner edge. Your knee is kept steady through these menisci as they help to balance body weight evenly across your knee. When a meniscus is torn, your knee may not function properly.

Causes of meniscus tear

A meniscus may get torn due to quick turn or twist when the foot is planted but the knee is in a bent position. It can also occur when you play sports or try to lift a heavy object. When you age, possibilities of a meniscus tear increases.

Meniscus tears-types

There can be three kinds of meniscus tear and a different set of signs for each one of them.

Minor tear

When the tear is minor, you may experience slight swelling and pain. But the pain usually ebbs within two to three weeks.

Moderate tear

In this type of tear, you may experience pain at the center or side of your knee. Within a period of two to three days, the swelling may deteriorate. You may experience stiffness in your knee and may face problem with its bending. However, you may still be able to walk. Though the symptoms may disappear after one to two weeks, they may again come back when your knee is overused or twisted.

Severe tear

When you have a severe tear, small pieces of your torn meniscus may move into the space between the joint. As a result, your knee may get locked, popped and caught. It may be difficult for you to keep your knees straight.

Symptoms

A meniscus tear’s symptoms may depend on the tear’s location and size. It may also be based on any other knee injuries that you sustained side-by-side. When there are small tears, minimal pain may be experienced when the injury occurs. It may take many days for a slight swelling to develop and it can be a gradual process. In fact, you can walk most of the times with slight pain. But pain may increase when you try to rise from a seating position or try to lift or squat. Though you may find that within a time period of two to three weeks, such symptoms are disappearing, the pain may come back with twisting or bending.

Treatment

Here are some of the ways a meniscus tear can be treated.